Original subtitles

Who ever sees his father clearly?

I believe I often saw my father not as he was,

but as I needed him to be.

Then, one difficult autumn,

I had a chance to glimpse the whole man

and to understand him more fully.

Right on us, isn't he?

Sure is. What's the matter with him?

Guess he's in a hurry.

If he's in such a hurry, surely, he'd say...

Who is that guy?

-What's the matter with him? -He's sure close.

-He wants you to pull over. -There's no place to pull over.

I know there's no place to pull over.

He's gonna run you off the road, Daddy.

Here we go.

Talk about your crazy drivers!

The name on the side of that truck, you catch it?

Murdock something.

Murdock Wood Company.

Those are the folks who took over the Dawkins Mill.

Yeah, well, his road style doesn't say too much for him.

Sure doesn't.

Oh, and there's our barn over there.

That's my brother's car over there, got a rumble seat.

-Goes to the university, too. -Wow.

There's our tree house. You want to try the swing?

-Hi, Courtney! -Hi, Erin.

-Did you want to use the swing? -No. Never mind.

Hey, Ben.

-Hi, Courtney. -Hi.

Can I have some rubber bands from your inner tube?

Jim-Bob, sure, you take the whole thing.

Gee, thanks.

Mama, this is Courtney Wallace.

And her family moved over from Lynchburg two weeks ago.

Nice to meet you, Courtney. Don't forget your chores, Ben.

I won't, Mama.

Here, I'll show you our rabbits. They're over here.

Got two new babies.

-Really? -Yeah.

It's much quieter over here.

I've never seen a place with so many people before.

-Are you ever alone? -We are now.

Hey, Courtney.

-Hi, Jason. -How are you?

Fine.

-Showing Courtney your rabbits? -Yeah.

Well, it's not my fault that I have a family.

Here, I'll show you the barn.

There's always somebody or something watching you here.

These animals mind their own business.

This is Chance and Myrtle and there's Blue!

Ben, let's go for a ride.

-On Blue? -Why not? It'd be fun.

Don't you want to?

Well, sure. But I do have chores to do.

I should ask my mama.

-Can't we just go? -We will.

Shouldn't you ask your mother first?

We haven't done this much since I started college.

What's that, Son?

Oh, just drive along like this or talk.

It used to be every time there was something about business,

a new contract or something, you'd let me know about it.

Still do.

You haven't passed on a piece of good news in a month.

Hasn't been any.

That new mill's been giving us some stiff competition.

Really? I figured you'd have an advantage over them,

-knowing all the people here. -It helps.

If it weren't for Horace and his barn, we'd be out of work.

Things are really running that close, huh?

Yeah.

Guess the times are getting harder.

I heard they were getting easier.

That's what I heard, too.

Hey, Horace.

Horace, how's the world treating you?

Fair to middling, John.

John-Boy, they fire you out of that college?

No, they laid me off for a day or two

while they erase the blackboards.

Want this load over there?

Barn's coming along real good, Horace.

Yeah, and at this rate, I'll move the first cow in,

in a year or two.

John, we've been doing business together a long time.

That's for sure.

Been friends ever since we sprouted.

That's right, Horace.

John, I hate to back out on an order,

but that's the fix I'm in.

Now, I'll take what you brought today,

but there's some new folks milling lumber

over at the old Dawkins place.

It's good lumber, and they're selling at a better price.

Things being the way they are, I gotta take them up on it.

I don't see how they're doing that, not to doubt your word.

I don't know.

We're already selling rock bottom.

-I feel real bad about it, John. -No need to, Horace.

Their name's Murdock. Murdock Wood Products.

So, if we went about a mile or so up from where we were

we would've gotten to my granddaddy's home,

which all there is left is just a chimney.

-Bet it's pretty up there. -Oh, it's beautiful.

Hey, Myrtle.

Uh-oh.

Wow.

Good boy.

That was fun. What there was of it.

I told you I had to get back to my chores.

Hey!

-You can't park Blue there. -Why not?

Because this is where Myrtle likes to eat.

We're not in her way.

Yeah, but Myrtle doesn't want to eat with Blue staring at her.

Ben, I've been thinking about it.

Maybe we shouldn't be seeing each other so much.

Well, why not?

Maybe there's too much weight in the nose.

-If you just throw... -Maybe if I...

-Courtney, why? -...that might help.

You gotta pick it up and throw it back.

-I am... -Courtney, wait.

-What's wrong? -I don't wanna talk about it.

I think I've a right to know why.

-No, it won't. -Yes, it will.

Alright, Ben.

-I think I'm older than you are. -By eight days!

I'm not talking about years.

I mean, I'm ready to be an adult.

And you're stuck in all this childhood.

-Childhood? -Yeah, Ben, childhood.

-Bye, Ben. -Courtney, wait.

Give me back my plane! Elizabeth!

See!

-You're just lucky, that's all. -You just throw it wrong.

-You broke it. You're gonna... -I did not break it!

I'm gonna tell Mama.

-I did not break it! -Go feed Myrtle!

What are you two looking so glum about?

We've got something to think about, Pa.

There's competition moving in, Grandpa.

-Ben's gone crazy. -What are you talking about?

He's upstairs packing!

Packing? What happened?

Well, I just walked in the room and he's packing a suitcase.

Did he say anything? Was there any...

No, he just said he was going off.

Come in.

-Going someplace, Son? -I'm getting out of here, Daddy.

I'm fed up with everything around here!

Come on kind of sudden, didn't it?

I just decided. It's time for me to go.

I'm going to Charlottesville and get me a job.

Something got you stirred up?

I'm tired of people treating me like I'm a dumb kid.

That's all people treat me around here! Like I'm a nobody!

Ben, I haven't noticed that.

A person can take only so much, and I've had all I can take!

I'm gonna show a lot of people here

that I'm not just a stupid tagalong.

You wanna go out on your own, huh?

That's right. I'm old enough and I'm big enough now.

Daddy, I gotta be my own man.

Don't you think we ought to talk this over with your mama?

Mama's a woman. Women don't understand

that sometimes there's things a man has to do.

Alright, Son.

Your mama's not gonna like it.

Take along these socks and a sweater here.

Is it true Ben's leaving for California to search for gold?

-No. -The whole thing's silly.

He'll get as far as Ike's store.

What are you girls talking about?

Jim-Bob says Ben's up in his room packing to leave home.

Good Lord! Not another one!

Oh, how far can he get with no money?

Ben always has a dollar or two stashed...

I'd better be going.

And just where have you better be going?

I'm going to Charlottesville and gettin' me a job.

-Without saying a word to me? -I was gonna say goodbye.

-And that's all? -Goodbye, Mama, Daddy.

Let him go, Liv.

Did you give him permission without even bothering

to find out how I feel about it?

Yes, I did.

John, he may act older but he's only 16 years old.

He doesn't know anything about the world

or what he's getting himself into out there.

Well, it's time he found out.

You know, if the wind shifts,

be good to be getting some rain on the mountain.

Somebody should be out looking for Ben.

-Talk to your son. -John...

We're not here to talk about Ben.

He can take care of himself.

You're just gonna brush it aside like it was nothing at all.

This family has a serious problem.

You know the old Dawkins mill.

Yes. The place closed up right after the Depression started.

That's right. A new company has moved in there.

And they're selling lumber cheaper than we are.

Well, now, don't that beat all.

Don't know how they're doing it,

but they're taking our customers away from us.

Daddy, I've been thinking, and for a new outfit

they seem to have an awful lot of cut lumber already.

They may be doing something we should know something about.

-I'll go have a look. -I'll drive you over there.

I wanna take a look at what they're doing myself.

I don't know what snooping around over there is gonna do.

We are not going over there and snoop around.

We're just going over to have a look.

Alright.

Don't get in any trouble.

Point is, we're gonna have to put in more hours on that mill.

What's the point of working harder if they sell cheaper?

Maybe we'll have to cut our prices.

I don't how I'm gonna do it, but...

Ben's out there somewhere.

He knows enough to keep himself dry.

Liv, do you think after the first of the month

we could sell some chickens?

Chickens?

Get rid of some of them young roosters

and keep the pullets for layers.

John, this is the first time we haven't known where Ben is!

Anything could've happened to him

and you're talking about chickens?

-Liv. -What?

There comes a time when we have to trust the good raising

we've given Ben.

All I know is, Ben is we don't where, doing we don't know what

on the most miserable night of the year, and you let him go!

That's the reason they can sell lumber cheaper than we can.

They just tear the place apart.

Blind, ruthless cuttin' on a slope like that,

erosion will wash the soil away.

No care, no replanting.

Oh, they've got a lot to learn.

Let's get out of here.

Don't stand in the aisle, kid.

-I was wondering if you need... -No, we don't.

No unauthorized personnel allowed in here.

Close the door when you leave.

It's the wrong time for Ben to be heading out.

No time's gonna seem like the right time.

Things the way they are, the whole family should be together.

He's out there looking for a job alone when there aren't any.

Everyone keeps talking about how grownup he is.

He's 16 years old, he's inexperienced,

he can be taken advantage of.

It's not a very comforting thought, what with all the evil

and crime you hear on the radio these days.

Livie, the... Where are you going?

I'm gonna borrow John-Boy's car, I'm gonna go to Charlottesville,

I'm gonna find Ben and bring him home where he belongs.

Well, I'm going, too.

Keep your eye on Elizabeth.

Grandpa, why do we have to come all the way down here?

Because I didn't want you young'uns to get any older

without learning everything about these forests

and having proper respect for them.

Now just take a look over there at that. What do you see?

-A big old tree. -How old?

That tree there was standing when this whole land around here

was a battlefield during the War Between the States.

Of course, it was a mere young thing then,

but if you look closely there under the bark

you could see a bulge where a Union musket ball came in.

Why Union?

The Virginians were better shots.

And this big tree here back of us was standing

when I charged up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt.

That clump of trees over there, the other side of the ridge,

they were started along about the time

when Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first airplane.

And over the ridge there, is a whole bunch of white cedars

that I planted the very year you was born, Elizabeth.

Over there, that young clump of alders,

they must've started just about the time

as our Depression was starting.

But there's something much more important

and older than that even.

-What? -You take this.

-Dirt? -Mm-hm.

It takes maybe 50 years to grow a good tree,

but it takes over 100 years to get one inch of good soil

like this that the young trees can sprout in.

Now that's why you have to be so careful

when you're walking out among the trees,

don't get your machinery in off the roads.

And for every tree that you cut, be sure and plant three.

-Isn't that what we do? -We do, but...

Sad to say, Jim-Bob,

we're not the only ones cutting on this mountain nowadays.

Do you know how fast you're going?

Twenty miles an hour.

There's no need to drive like a speed maniac.

The faster we go, the sooner we'll get to Ben.

Boys, why...

You remember when Jim-Bob ran away?

And then there was my cousin Iris' boy.

He ran off to make his fortune. He got as far as Portsmouth.

What happened to him?

What happened is that he got the tar whipped out of him

because when they found him, he'd spent the night

at a speakeasy bar down by the waterfront

filling himself with liquor.

Livie, you're going 22 miles an hour!

Jason!

Where's your daddy and John-Boy going

in such an all-fired hurry?

Well, we heard on the radio

that C&O Railroad had a trestle washed out in last night's rain.

C&O washout? They'll be needing considerable lumber right away.

Well, that's what we figured. So, he and John-Boy went down

to the railroad depot in Rockfish to get the order.

Why in the blue blazes didn't they wait for me?

-Well, you weren't here. -Nonsense.

Everybody knows I'm within yelling distance

any time of the day or night.

Don't blame me. They were in a hurry.

They had to go and you weren't available.

That is a pitiful excuse!

I'm gonna get the mill ready.

You know, if that trestle washed out just last night,

we might be the first one in to talk lumber.

About time we had some luck.

How old are you? You look young.

I'm gonna be 16.

Well, we'd like to have people who have been 16.

Do you have any experience clerking?

I've bought a lot of things from clerks.

-And I learn fast. -I'm sorry,

but we're not hiring right now as you can see,

and if we were, we'd want somebody a little more mature.

Well, shall we go up?

I don't think it's gonna do much good.

Seems like we've tried every street in Charlottesville.

Livie, it's getting late.

Come on.

And the freight's piling up.

I know how much we're losing every day.

Look, I'll get back to you later.

-What do you want? -I'm John Walton.

We heard about the washout.

-We'd like to sell you lumber. -Bill Cobbs. Murdock Mills.

I got that contract wrapped up for the washout.

-Just a minute. Frank Willis. -Willis, this is my son here.

-You're here to sell lumber. -That's right.

I need a lot of it and fast.

I can take all both your mills turn out.

When do you want it?

Every day that trestle's out is costing us money.

I'll take it now if I can.

Give me an order. We'll be on our way.

Daddy... Mr. Willis, just a minute.

-I'd like to ask you a question. -Shoot.

I see your advertising for bids on your warehouse contract.

Looks like that's gonna take a lot of lumber.

-It will. What about it? -Well, I got an idea.

What if the first mill to deliver the order

for the washout site gets the warehouse contract?

That's a thought alright. Not a bad one.

-It's okay by me. -Daddy?

The more I think about it, the better I like it.

We'll see how fast you guys can cut lumber.

The first mill, then, to deliver

a load of clear Locust Bridge stock to the washout site

wins this warehouse contract.

That's a bargain.

That's the kind of heavy lumber that takes time to mill...

Daddy, Daddy, we can handle that.

Well, John, you want it?

Alright.

You're not talking very much.

Did I talk out of turn back there?

No, Son.

I just don't like doing business that way.

What do you mean?

Oh, you're talking about the competition? Well...

I don't understand. Just the other day

you were telling me how bad things are.

I think we should take what we can get.

We stand to get a lot. What do we got to lose?

I don't know.

You start concentrating on beating the other fella

you forget what's important.

Doing what you know how to do and doing it the best you can,

letting the rest take care of itself.

Maybe so.

But I think times are different now, Daddy.

There is more competition. You gotta admit to that.

I may not like it any more than you do,

but maybe we just have to get out there and scramble.

Maybe we do.

You know something else?

I think it might be kind of exciting.

Pa!

Pa, looks like we got ourselves some work.

John, may I ask you a question?

Sure, Pa. What is it?

Isn't this company known as Walton and Sons?

Yeah, Pa, you know it is.

And who is the number one Walton around here?

Pa, you are.

May I ask why you go sashaying off on company business

and leave me here to twiddle my thumbs?

You see, Pa, you weren't about. We were in kind of a hurry.

-Sorry, Pa. -Sorry doesn't feed the bulldog!

We didn't do it on purpose, Grandpa.

My sensibilities are considerably aroused.

And they're likely to be so

for some time in the foreseeable future!

-Come on, Pa! -I will not come on!

Right. Have it your way.

Grandpa, Grandpa, you're very upset,

and nobody's blaming you for that.

We shouldn't have run off. We're sorry about it.

But we've gotta get back to work now.

-We gotta take care of business. -You go on about your business.

We need you for the... We need everybody.

Grandpa, we have got ourselves a contract with the C&O Railroad

to supply the lumber to repair the washout.

And what is more,

if we can deliver our order before the Murdock Mill does

we will win the contract for that big warehouse

that they're planning to build.

John! That sound like considerable of a plum, huh?

-It does indeed. -John!

Come to your senses, have you, Pa?

I never lost mine. I don't know just where yours were.

Why didn't you tell me about that contract?

First good news I've heard in over 25 years

and I'm the last one to hear about it!

Yeah, well, let's get to work.

I'll be turning off up past Rockfish.

-Okay. -Okay, hop in.

Stiff neck?

I slept in a doorway last night, trying to stay out of the rain.

Yeah, I've done that a few times myself.

What, you out to make your fortune?

No, just trying to get a job.

Lot of people in the same boat these days.

Well, it's especially hard on someone who's only experience is

planting the turnips, or milking a cow, or working in a sawmill.

-Oh, you got mill experience? -All my life, practically.

Well, I'll tell you something.

I work in a sawmill and they need a guy with experience.

I think you just found yourself a job.

Are you from around here?

Hi, there. I brought you some groceries by.

That's all paid for, right?

Well, no, but you just sign here to make sure you got it.

Okay.

Is that Ben?

What's that?

No, I just saw someone I know, is all.

-Okay, thanks. -You're welcome.

Listen, the boys coming by the store tonight?

I guess so. Not much else to do around here come sundown.

-Okay. See you tonight. -Okay.

Walton's Mountain is getting to be

about the most romantic place in the whole country.

The whole world.

My own brother going off with a broken heart over a girl!

Isn't Courtney lucky, Mary Ellen?

Because Ben had a crush on her?

Because Ben left home on account of her.

I wish some boy would like me enough to go away like that.

A boy you liked?

A boy I was crazy about.

Why'd you want a boy that you were crazy about to leave home?

Oh, Elizabeth, you don't know anything about romance.

Ladies, it's dinnertime.

I'm hungry enough to eat a horse and chase the rider.

-Why isn't this table set? -There's nothing to set it for.

Mama and Grandma took John-Boy's car

and went into Charlottesville.

-What for? -To find Ben.

What is happening around this house?

Get that dress off the table and get this table set.

Mary Ellen, try to get some food on the table, please.

Here's your mother.

Olivia, do you know what time it is?

I guess I do.

Esther, do you know what time it is?

What are you doing in here before dinner's ready?

I would like to know what is happening around this place.

We put in a hard morning's work,

we come in here and the meal's not even started.

You wanna know what's happening, John?

-Yes! -I'll tell you what's happening.

I have not seen our son, Ben, for 24 hours.

-That's what's happening! -Olivia...

-Daddy, Ike. -Ike.

Howdy, everybody.

I hope I'm not walking in on the middle of anything.

What can we do for you, Ike?

Well, I got a surprise over at the Murdock Mill today.

Do you know that Ben is working over there?

You saw Ben?

He's working for the other mill.

Yes, he is.

I'm gonna go straighten him out.

Wait a minute. You are not going anywhere.

If Ben wants to work for the Murdocks, it's his business!

Well, at least we know he's safe.

Safe? He's working for the other company!

The Murdocks are not our enemies.

They are trying to make a living just like we are!

And they're probably eating better!

Daddy, Ben is a member of this family.

He has his rights. I don't intend to interfere.

Our own brother helping to beat us out!

Don't worry about your brother! Take care of yourself!

I do not understand

why he'd be helping someone who's working against us.

It doesn't make any sense!

Unless he doesn't know anything about this contract.

Whether he knows or doesn't know, it's none of our business!

We have a job to do. Let's get to work.

Sure. Alright. Fine.

Alright, everybody. Listen up.

We're not turning enough of this wood out.

There's an extra dollar in it for everybody

if we got a load of this stuff by tomorrow morning.

-You've got it! -Alright. Let's go. Come on.

I've got Ben on my mind and I can't get him off.

Will you take over for me, Grandma?

Go on.

John-Boy!

-John-Boy! -Yes, ma'am.

What is it, Mama?

-I want you to bring Ben home. -I'd love to go get Ben, Mama,

but Daddy's not gonna hear about that.

I'm asking you to go get him and bring him home.

That sort of puts me in the middle, doesn't it?

John-Boy, if you don't go get him, I will.

That'd be the worst thing you could possibly do.

Can you imagine how embarrassed he'd be if you went to get him?

I'll go get him.

Alright, John. Let's give it another whirl.

Here we go.

Hold it, hold it.

Just when I thought I had it fixed.

Luck.

Daddy, we could try that old one we patched up.

Go get it, Son.

Pa, we're just fooling ourselves!

We'll never out-mill the Murdocks.

They got better machinery, younger, stronger men...

If you are referring to my age...

Pa, don't start that again.

You're always too ready to put the old man on the shelf.

You don't get your hackles up, please?

If you think I'll get ready to be left behind

like an old cow's tail, you got another thing coming!

Pa, will you forget it!

It may interest you to know that this old codger

has thought up a plan that'll put us ahead of the Murdocks.

-What's that? -Don't you worry.

I've got it right up here in these old boiled brains.

-Pa... -If you're gonna put me behind

like an old cow out to pasture...

-Will you come back here? -I am going for a walk.

Come on, Jason!

Oh, boy.

Where you going, Grandpa?

I was getting kind of hot around the collar back there.

Thought I'd come down here and cool off.

Well, Daddy said I wasn't needed for a while.

You know, I feel a kinship with these woods,

more than anything else, except the family.

Sometimes I think I understand the woods even better.

-Better than the family? -Mm-hm.

Well, I know every tree around here,

the loblollies, the ashes, willows.

I know every curve in this here river,

where it spreads out in the shallows,

and runs deep and wide down in the narrows.

Are we gonna lose the mountain to those Murdock people?

Lose it?

If they take all our business away?

Where did you ever get such an idea as that?

From you.

From the sad way you talked about the mountain.

Well, it would relieve us a lot of worries

if we'd get that warehouse contract.

I guess we gotta get it then.

That's easier said than done, Jim-Bob.

Them Murdocks are new around here,

but they have got the edge on us in a lot of ways.

Well, we've been here longer and we know the country better.

Yes, we do.

Oh, yes, we do.

-What a day, huh? -Yeah. You know something?

This job's getting to be too much like work!

Yeah, but another day, another dollar.

Another dollar when we get the load out in the morning.

The way Cobbs is throwing money around,

he really wants to beat the Waltons to that contract.

What's that?

He wants to beat the Waltons to the warehouse contract.

What's the matter with you? You getting hard of hearing?

I guess so.

-See you tomorrow, Ben. -Yeah.

Mr. Cobbs, I'm sorry, but I can't work for you anymore.

What's wrong?

Nothing. I just don't belong here.

You're doing a good job. I can't afford to lose a man right now.

-It's my fault. -Why don't you stick around?

It's always rough the first day

but tomorrow will get better, huh?

What can I do for you?

Come to pick up my brother here.

You two are brothers?

You better get your walking papers, Ben.

I already have.

I'd rather not have that, sir.

If I knew of any contract, I never would've taken this job.

If I'd known you were a Walton, never would've hired you.

Start up the car.

Come on, Ben.

-Ike. Oh, Ike, there you are. -Zeb, hey.

Hey, Ike, do you remember that length of logging chain

we used to pull Minnie Brubaker's bull

out of the Hardrick's Swamp?

Yeah, sure I remember. I got it out back.

I could sure use that logging chain if you feel so inclined.

You can use it. What are you aiming to use it for?

We figure on taking the logging chain,

tying it around our lumber and sliding it off our truck

into the Rockfish River.

Float it down to the nearest C&O washout trestle.

We're gonna pull a fast one on that Murdock bunch.

Those are the people...

I don't want you to breathe this to a soul.

We're gonna have our lumber delivered

and be on our way back home, while that Murdock outfit

is still zigzagging downhill the old mountain road.

Zeb, those guys that are playing pool back there,

they're with the Murdock Lumber Company.

Uh-oh.

Don't suppose they heard me, did you?

It doesn't look like they did.

I guess they can't hear you back there.

Thank you, Ike. I'll pick up the logging chain.

Okay.

How are you, Ben?

Jason, Jim-Bob, come on.

I gotta get some tools to fix this thing.

Come on. Let's go.

-Hello, Daddy. -Son.

I'm sorry about the way I acted.

I went like a jackass over a girl.

Those things happen, Son.

There's one thing I don't think you understand.

John-Boy told me about the way you all felt

when you found out that I was working for the Murdock Mill.

You wanted to be off on your own, Son.

That's not what I'm talking about, Daddy.

I never knew the Murdocks were taking business away from you,

and if I had, I never would've taken that job.

I just saw a job that I could take

and I took it 'cause I didn't want to come home a failure.

Ben,

there was something you had to do and you did it.

And I'm proud of you.

I've gotta get back to work.

You get something to eat, then you get back to work.

Alright?

Hello, Mama.

Just dropping by, or are you planning to stay a while?

I'm gonna stay for a while.

You can put your suitcase down.

Well, how is everybody?

Everybody's just fine.

Good. How are the animals?

Animals are just fine.

And the fall crops doing okay?

The fall crops are doing very...

Ben, I am so mad at you! You know what it's like

not hearing from you?

Didn't think you wanted to hear from me.

I was walking the floor!

Didn't think you liked the idea of me going.

I didn't like the idea of you going. It was very, very wrong.

Now sit down!

Here, eat your pie.

I'll get you some milk.

Daddy, we're breaking our backs for nothing.

We don't stand a chance with that Murdock bunch.

Just load the truck, please.

I suppose you boys don't remember what I told you.

Pa, you know I don't go for that fancy scheming.

You have no faith in the old man, huh?

Just let him ramble on.

-Pay no attention to him. -What're you talking about?

-Don't get him started, Son. -Your daddy's hardheaded, Ben.

I think it runs in the family.

-Dad, I got these chains here. -I've got a job for you.

I've got a job here, Grandpa. Daddy, I've put...

-It's all part of the plan. -What plan?

What's he talking about?

Get down here...

-Hey, Ike. -Hiya, John-Boy. Gramps.

Hey, John! I got some news for you.

It's not particularly good, but you better know about it.

What's on your mind?

The Murdock truck just stopped by the store,

and they're loaded and they're on their way.

Oh, I told you. We're just trying to kid ourselves.

"O ye of little faith." Let's get loaded.

Pa, I'm not gonna race this truck down the mountain.

We're not racing this truck down the mountain.

We'll get there and get that contract before them.

-Come on, let's get loaded! -Here we go. Here we go.

-Why don't we make a line here? -Easy does it now. Hold it.

-Easy? -Hold on, boys.

Easy!

Hey, Walton, where's your truck?

Fellas, hold it! Fellas!

I'm sorry, you'll have to move on down the river a ways,

'cause I'm holding this spot here.

You guys ever hear about holding up a river?

We're already here. Get out of here. Move her on down there.

No. This is the Waltons' spot right here.

-I wouldn't make Mr. Cobbs mad. -That's alright.

Get in your truck, move it on down the river...

No way.

Alright, fellas. Thank you. There it is!

We're off!

-Good luck. -Thank you, honey.

I don't know what you have in this thing...

Now drive carefully.

-Alright. -Bye.

-But drive fast. -We'll win it, Daddy.

-Alright. -Good luck, Daddy.

Good luck.

I don't wanna make him angry, but this is the Waltons' spot.

I was here first, I'm staying here.

Stand back. You're in the way.

I'll stay in the way, 'cause this is the Walton spot,

this is a Walton man and I'm gonna be right here.

-You want me to sit on you? -Head out, Grier.

Come on, let's go. Get that wood down here.

You think it's time you told me about this scheme of yours?

It's a pure pearl of simplicity, Son.

The Rockfish River here is gonna win us our warehouse contract.

You wanna explain that?

We'll all find out in three shakes of a lamb's tail.

Get it on there, let's go.

There she goes.

Let's go! Pole it!

She sails like a duck!

Alright. We'll see you downriver, Grier.

Okay.

Walton, tell your grandpa thanks for the tip.

-Over to that side. Come on. -Yeah, we're on our way.

There we go.

-We'll see you, Grier. -Okay.

Push it over this way.

I'm trying.

Hey! What's the matter out there?

We're stuck on something!

We're caught!

-Get on those poles and push! -I'm trying!

What's going on down there?

The fellas seem to be stuck on the sandbar.

Well, now isn't that a shame?

You weren't thinking of floating this load down the river, huh?

Now you know I'm not as crazy as all that, yet.

Hey, boys! Take it easy. Enjoy yourselves.

There's only 44 more of those sandbars to go!

What happened to my pole?

Like the tortoise in Aesop's Fables,

like Br'er Rabbit in the tales of Uncle Remus,

my grandfather had outwitted the opposition

with his cunning.

We arrived at the site a full half-day ahead

of our floating competition,

and were awarded the warehouse contract.

It kept us going for most of that winter.

-Goodnight, Ben. -Goodnight, Mary Ellen.

-You ladies' man. -Let's go to sleep, everybody.

-Goodnight, Jason. -Goodnight, Elizabeth.

Liv, there's something I'm gonna do when this Depression is over.

-What? -Put up proper walls

so everybody can't hear what's being said in every other room.

-Why you gonna do that, Daddy? -Goodnight, Elizabeth.